We’re getting close to the release of all the new Organized Play documents and materials for the new editions of WARMACHINE and HORDES, which just so happen to coincide with the rotation of the Active Duty Roster (ADR)!

So, guess what I’m previewing today? If you guessed the Season 4 ADR, you win a prize! That prize is getting to see the ADR. Wait, I guess you’re getting that even if you guessed wrong. Whatever.

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As a quick refresher for those of you new to our lovely game and all of its Organized Play offerings, the ADR is used in two of the three premier competitive formats: Masters and Champions. The ADR is a list of four warcasters/warlocks per Faction that rotates every six months. Each of the two formats uses ADR in a slightly different way.

In Masters, if all of the warcasters or warlocks in your army lists (note: Masters can now be run as a 2-list or 3-list event, as can Champions) are on the ADR, you receive a benefit called Vanguard. If you qualify for Vanguard, you get a bonus 40 points of Specialists to add to each of your army lists. Specialists are a side pool of models that, you can swap out for models from your main list, once you know what army list your opponent is playing, to tailor your fighting force a bit based on your matchup.

In Champions, using the warcasters and warlocks on the ADR isn’t an option; it’s a requirement. That’s right, Champions is our first-ever limited format, allowing players to bring only warcasters and warlocks that are on the current ADR. That means Champions will have one of the fastest-evolving metas in WARMACHINE and HORDES, as the available options will change twice a year.

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Oh, there is one other major change about the way ADR works that I want to make sure everyone is aware of. In the past, when a new warcaster or warlock was released to the public, it was automatically added to the current ADR until rotation. That is no longer the case. Instead, if a warcaster or warlock is pre-released at a convention, it is added to the ADR for that convention only. Aside from that one exception, the ADR remains exactly as published each rotation, with no mid-season alterations.

Anyway, enough chit-chat. Let’s take a look at the Season 4 ADR that goes live this July—the first ADR for the new editions of WARMACHINE and HORDES. If we had to give each season a nickname, I think this one would have to be called “Back to Basics.” While there will be plenty of new official Masters and Champions events held globally in July, try to come see us at Gen Con 2016 in August; that will be the first time we are hosting our own events (publicly, at least) using the new ADR, and we can’t wait to see all the action in person!